The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-19
ON HIGH LAND.
Why I Would Rather Be There
= Than Anywhere Else.

We had been engaged. Mark and I, since
we were babies, so to say; that is, when he
was still in knickerbockers. and / Just out
of bibs, we had decided that when we grew
up and had a house of our own, it was to be
our own his and mine, and there we were
to live together and live alone; and if the
chief of our diet there was to be applicants
and butter-scotches, that was our own af
fair 1t is thousand pities that it was about
that house that all the rout happened. For
the fact is, had the strongest sort of will,
and so had Mark; and when it came TO the
point, it wasn't that house at all that
wanted.
For. YOU see, the spot where lived, down
on the great meadow farms, was my sole
idea of the beauty and pleasantness of the
world. Across the river, with its high bank
crowned with feathery and always tremb-
ling and shining birches, the hills rose, far
and faint and purple vague; but here there
We're only the long green levels Of grass
fields lying low and even with the river that
filled and sparkled in the reeds along the
edge, and flowed by us broad and grand on
its Way to the sea. And when the sun shone,
and the sky was blue, and the south wind
was softly blowing, one seemed as near
Heaven, living there, as it is given one to be
on earth.
There were quite number of dwelling
houses here, where the corners of several
of the great river farms converged, so that
although their lands stretched out in differ
cnt directions, the buildings clustered to-
gether like village; and we always came
and went freely in each others houses, and
knew each others concerns, and were more
like one large family than strangers; and l
loved my neighbors every one, and didn't
want to go away from them. And when it
came to the question of marrying and going
away, L was simply determined that l
wouldn't go away, but that Mark should
come down to this little garden of Eden,
where | knew every tint of the ripe grass
on the meadow, every sparkle of the water,
every fleece Of cloud upon the blue Of
heaven.
land why not, Mark!'' l urged. ''Here
is this immense farm, a really great prop
erty. and would you leave il TO take care of
itself, and we go TO live two miles away on
YOUR fathers place, that bleak, lonesome
rock up in the air, shut in by pine forest
like great fnrtresS-a prison, real dun
geon.'
''It isn't prison 10 me- said Mark. sit
is the brightest spot IN the world-it would
be if you were in 1t, Man, My real name
is Pamela; but that Is nc way people always
used me.
.And no ueighbors therein exclaimed
t'nobody 10 run IN of an evening, nobody to
talk t. over the garden wall, nobody to
borrow Of. nobody 10 show your new things
TO, nobody Il you're sick. One might as
well be buried alive. Ialways Thought so"
al should want nobody but you, Nan, if
"a sh,% L
1t would be simply paradise"
sit wouldn't be paradise 20 me without
any water to see. never liked the verse
IN the Bible about there being no more sea.
Pretty Heaven that, without any sea to look
att 1 couldn't live without my river. I've
always had it running by, running up or
running down, coming from somewhere
going TO, somewhere, life and motion. al
ways look out the first thing in the morning
20 see if it's still there, andI listen for it at
night. And it makes two skies by night
one above and one below-with stars down
in the underworld; and then by day the
color, the changing light and color and the
rushing of the tide, taxing you right into
the mysteries. o, it's stagnation without
the river! I'd as lief be dead"
sand / think Just as much of the pine
woods he said, with the everlasting muir
muir OF the boughs. And when wind be-
gins to blow, long before We feel it down
below, the treetops know it, and are whisp-
ering about it one to another, like old witch
sc5 brewing a storm"
"And there's nothing but patch of a
garden there in your fathers old place.
went on, without needing; land here are
these long rich grass lands. And how in
the world are we to manage q farm two
miles away from it, should like TO known"
II know" said Mark, easily. ''Just as you
do two rods away"
.slts imposss0ie," said L "You don't